If you’re a regular reader of the site, then you know I haven’t been particularly convinced that “Big Little Lies” needs a second season. The award-winning and acclaimed first season — which was initially conceived as a limited series — wrapped up with a wonderfully enigmatic finish, one that really doesn’t need to be elaborated upon. But we’re getting it anyway, and now HBO has made a huge casting announcement that has certainly started changing my opinion on the next season in a big way.
Meryl Streep is joining the second season of “Big Little Lies.” Yes, that Meryl Streep. The legendary actress has been cast as Mary Louise Wright, the mother of the Alexander Skarsgard‘s abusive and now deceased Perry Wright (though the actor is apparently returning for more episodes, likely in flashbacks). She’ll be showing up in Monterey concerned about her grandchildren following her son’s death, and likely stirring up the pot a bit. It’s fantastically exciting stuff, especially when you add the fact that Andrea Arnold (“Fish Tank,” “Wuthering Heights“) will be directing the screen veteran. Wow.
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HBO is opening up their wallets for this show. Both Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon have negotiated huge pay raises for the second season, and will be pocketing $1 million per episode, which is nearly quadruple what they took home for the first season. Lord only knows what kinda cash Streep will be commanding, and the rest of the returning ensemble have all received notable salary bumps too.
Lastly, here’s a fun fact to consider: in “Mamma Mia,” Meryl Streep played a woman who had an affair with Stellan Skarsgard. Is this all connected? Is this the launch of the “Mamma Mia”-verse? We’ll find out soon enough.
“Big Little Lies” season two starts shooting this spring and will land on HBO in 2019. [THR]